Carmen Sandi

Biography

Carmen Sandi is a Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), where she leads the Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics. She has made seminal contributions to understanding how stress affects brain function and behavior, identifying key modulators of stress-induced neural and behavioral adaptations. Her current research focuses on how metabolism shapes the structure and function of neural circuits involved in emotion regulation, motivation, and decision-making. Using integrative approaches in rodents and humans, her work has revealed how mitochondrial processes contribute to individual differences in behavior and vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression. 

Carmen carried out her PhD at the Cajal Institute in Madrid, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Bordeaux and the UK Open University, and held an Associate Professor position at UNED University in Madrid before joining EPFL. Carmen has published over 280 research articles and contributed to several books. She has received major international distinctions, including the Ron de Kloet Prize for Stress Research, the John Paul Scott Award for Research on Aggression, and the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Award. She has held major leadership roles in the neuroscience community, including serving as Director of the EPFL Brain Mind Institute, and as President of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), the European Brain and Behaviour Society (EBBS), and the Cajal Advanced Neuroscience Training Programme. She is the founder and co-President of the Swiss Stress Network and the Global Stress and Resilience Network, and also founded the ALBA Network for Diversity and Inclusion in Brain Sciences. 

Carmen Sandi has been awarded the 2025 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award (preclinical) in recognition of her achievements in advancing the understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of stress and anxiety and their impacts on brain and behaviour.